Famadihana, or ‘the turning of the bones’ is a sacred practice followed by some ethnic groups in the African nation of Madagascar every five to seven years. They celebrate this event so that the living can meet their ancestors and it is a moment of extreme joy for them.
The Malagasy believe that unless the bones are decomposed completely, the dead will not be taken to their second lives. Hence, till a part of their bodies is on the earth, they are considered to have not moved on from their current lives. It is one of the country’s biggest festivals, and for some, is the only opportunity in which relatives can see their family. Guests and relatives often travel miles to attend the two day celebration, and bring donations in the form of alcohol and money.
The process of Famadihana starts when an ancestral spirit appears to a senior family member. They often appear in dreams and mention that they are cold or that they need new clothes. Then, astrologers are consulted who tell when the tombs should be opened and closed.
The bodies are often kept in partially underground chambers, on shelves and wrapped in silk cloth. Once they are removed, they are placed on reed mats. The host family then wraps the body in new shrouds, and people place things which the deceased used to like. For some men, it may be cigarettes or alcohol. For women, people place perfumes or lipsticks and for kids, they place sweets.
Once they are freshly packed, the direct relatives come together and dance with the bodies. They also present them to the newcomers of the family. They are not supposed to be sad in this moment, as they take it as a celebration and get together with the ones who passed away.
However, in the recent past, this centuries old practice has come under a lot of criticism, calling it to be permanently stopped. A lot of families have abandoned this practice permanently. This is because it has become extremely expensive to organise, and it has also been linked to the spread of plague in the place where it happens.
Pretty different from our typical family unions…
Image credits: Guy Shachar
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